Sncf gateway

In France, coastal paths apply an easement established by the Napoleonic Civil Code aimed at giving free access to the sea. Often used by customs officers to monitor contraband via the coast, they were called “Customs Officers’ Paths (or trails). During my first stays, I sometimes heard old Roquebrunois people at the café recounting the heroic memories of their childhood, having fun deceiving the vigilance of the customs officers patrolling on the way to Cap Martin. This dizzying footbridge, attached to the retaining wall of the railway, bears witness to the extension of the network with the line linking Monaco to Menton opened in 1898. The arrival of the train then marked a real contribution to the tourist boom in the Menton basin. Progress was also taking place on the roads with the development of the automobile and the operation of the tramway. Doctor Guglielmetti, delighted with these advances, but concerned about the health of his peers, brought together a committee to develop a path that would allow people to reach Monaco on foot, sheltered from dust and the dangers of the road. At its inauguration, in 1914, the visionary doctor was delighted to be able to offer “strolling, loafing and healthy exercise which expands the lungs and maintains the body…” while passing under a bouquet of pines and following the capricious windings of the coast. In the 1980s, in homage to the famous architect who had built his shed along this path, the town decided to officially name this path “promenade Le Corbusier”. If you want to go back up to the Cape Town plateau, now is the time to expand your lungs to take the steps that climb above the railway line.